Box



Feb. 3, 1970 H. S. COLLIN Box Filed April 24, 1968 IBJ 3,493,101 BOX Herbert S. Collin, Newton, Mass. (56 Bristol St., Boston, Mass. 02118) ruled Apr. 24, 196s, ser. No. 723,751 Int. Cl. B65d 85/18 U.S. Cl. 206-7 6 Claims ABSTRACT F Tim DISCLOSURE A wardrobe box having selectively reinforced Wall portions formed of a pair of identical sheets, with each sheet folded along perpendicularly extending lines to define a plurality of side and bottom portions. The sheets are interengaged with the bottom opposite side portions partially lapping each other to form the reinforced wall portions. Opposite sides have aligned apertures formed in the reinforced wall portions with tabs folded downwardly on opposite surfaces of the sheet about the aperture. A means for support extends across the box and has a clamp means extending through the apertures on opposite sides of the box engaging the reinforced Wall portions over the lapped sides and tabs.

SUBJECT MATTER OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a box and is particularly designed for use in large corrugated boxes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The corrugated box trade is a highly competitive trade in which there is a constant demand for increased efficiency in use of material, which is the major cost factor in box fabrication. Since corrugated boxes are frequently used to transport large or bulky items, it is often necessary to fabricate these boxes with reinforced sides and bottoms to adequately protect the contents and to assure that the box will not inadvertently break or burst. Rigidity and strength is also required in corrugated boxes because boxes are often stacked in pallets to considerable heights thus causing substantial pressures on boxes at the bottom of the pallet.

Heretofore it has been common practice to fabricate boxes that are designed to have substantial strength with separately fabricated liners which extend about the Walls or tops. It is also common to fabricate such boxes or cartons from a very heavy material. Such material may, for example, comprise double or triple faced material or material having a greater Mullins Test bursting strength than is required for the bottom or top. Such constructions are not -altogether satisfactory because the entire box is thereby often constructed of a heavier, more expensive material than is actually required. Further, such boxes which have been available heretofore are not readily adapted for manufacturing short runs of containers in which each run is individually tailored for a different bursting test strength of the containers in the run. Thus, it is not economical to adjust the size or strength of a short run of boxes for specific tailored strengths. Nor can precisely tailored strengths be attained commercially in many instances regardless of the run because commercially available corrugated sheets lare sold in a series of distinct bursting test strengths.

In addition there are serious limitations in corrugated box designs intended for stacking on pallets in Warehouses and the like. Such boxes are particularly susceptible to slippage or avalanching when piled at particularly great heights.

A further limitation of the prior art corrugated boxes is their failure to provide means for air circulation about them when tightly stacked. Under such conditions boxes containing hydroscopic materials such as soap that might liquify when wet are particularly susceptible to damage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a design for a box construction which overcomes the deficiencies of the previously available corrugated boxes as described above. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a corrugated box design formed of a plurality of sheets selectively secured together to provide precisely desired strength in specific portions of the box. A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved box design in which an inventory of die cut sheets may be maintained for subsequent fabrication of boxes having a variety of individually tailored stacking strengths. A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved box design which may be fabricated of a single Wall, double faced corrugated material having reinforced portions specifically tailored to individual strength requirements. The corrugated box so constructed is capable of being stacked to considerable heights with substantial Weights contained within the boxes. It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved corrugated box design which is capable of being nterlocked with adjacent stacked boxes of like design to prevent or minimize slipping.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved box design having means f'or permitting the circulation of air when a series of like boxes are packed on pallets or in Warehouses.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved box design which is capable of being made of less material and at a smaller cost than earlier box constructions designed for use in equivalent packaging.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an improved wardrobe box made of corrugated material and having reinforced portions adapted to provide improved means for supporting and securing cross braces in the Wardrobe box.

In the present invention there is provided a box having reinforced Walls formed of a pair of .sheets with each sheet folded along lines defining a plurality of side and bottom portions. The sheets are interengaged with the bottom portion of one at least partially overlapping the bottom portion of the other. Each of the side portions of one sheet partially overlaps a side portion of the other, and means are provided for permanently securing the lapped side portions together.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a perspective view of a partially assembled box embodying the principles of my invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the assembled box of FIG. l with the top flaps removed for clarity;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention illustrated in FIG. 1 intended specifically for use as a Wardrobe case; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional detail of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. l there is illustrated a box formed preferably of two identical sheets of corrugated cardboard. The cardboard is preferably a single Wall double face cardboard. A single wall double face cardboard is a cardboard having internal corrugation covered on opposite sides with sheets of paper or cardboard. These two sheets 1 and 2 are scored by conventional means to define each a series of side portions 3, 4 and 5 adjacent each other defined from each other by the score lines 6 and 7. A top portion is formed by flaps 9, 1t) and 11 defined by score lines or fold lines 12, 13 and 14 extending perpendicularly to the vertical fold or score lines 6 and 7. The bottom portions are similarly formed. Preferably these bottom portions are similar in shape and opposite to the portions 9, and 11 and are illustrated at 15, 16.

The opposite sheets 1 and 2 are folded and telescoped together in the form as illustrated in FIG. 2 so that opposite side portions 3 and 5 are formed with lapped areas 17 and 18. These lapped areas 17 and 18 are opposite one another and extend from the bottom to the top of the box. Marginal areas are formed as illustrated at 19 and 20 on either side of the lapped areas 17, 18. The width of the lapped areas may vary depending upon the particular strength desired. Thus, for example, if a particularly strong box is desired the lapped areas 17 and 18 may be widened by telescoping the two sheets 1 and 2 together. To maximize the strength edge 23 of sheets 2 will substantially touch the side portion 4 of sheet 1 and thus the edges 24 of sheet 1 will correspondingly touch the side portion 4 of sheet 2.

Thus a box as illustrated in FIGS. l and 2 may be made with a variety of strengths with the same thickness of material. It is therefore possible to make a box with a precisely desired strength or ability to support weight while using a single strength corrugated material.

The invention may be utilized for specific design purposes. Exemplary of a specific utilization of the invention is the wardrobe container illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. In this arrangement sheets 40 and 41 are formed identical to one another. These sheets 40 and 41 provide side portions 42 and 44 adjacent side 43 and defined by the vertical fold line 46. Lids are formed by the top portions 47, 48 and 49. If desired for specific wardrobe purposes side 43 may be provided with a fold line 50 which permits the opening of the side 43 on a bias with the side 43 separated from the top to the bottom at the intersection of fold 46 and fold 5t) as illustrated at 55. As previously illustrated, the identical sheets 40 and 41 are telescoped with their bottom portions lapped and with their opposite side portions 42, 44 lapped. The lapped portions may be cemented together by known means, such as by cement, to provide a rigid reinforced portion extending along opposite sides from the bottom to the top of the box with marginal portions on either side of the lapped portions.

Apertures are formed in the lapped portions as illustrated at 60 and 61 for purposes of receiving a brace or support generally illustrated at 63. The apertures 60 and 61 are formed preferably by die cutting the aperture along three edges, including two sides and a top and by folding the partially cut out portion of each of the sheets 42 outwardly and downwardly, thus providing outwardly extending tabs 65 and 66 (FIG. 4). These tabs 65 and 66 are folded downwardly into facing relation with the opposed surfaces of the lapped sides in the double wall portion thereby effectively forming a quadruple thickness of the Sheet material immediately below the apertures 60 and 61.

The cross brace means 63 may comprise a conventional cross brace means for wardrobe cases of the type described. In such an arrangement the cross brace 63 is provided with a longitudinally extending member 67 preferably having a U-shaped cross section. This cross brace 67 terminates in a downwardly opened hook or clamp 68 preferably having a barb 69 on its outer leg 70. A locking clamp or brace 71 ts within the U-shaped cross section of the brace 67 and has its ends formed as a barb 73 that extends through an aperture in the U-shaped member 68 and forces the barb 73 outwardly through this aperture into clamping engagement with the barb 69 and quadrupled thickness of the box. The quadrnpled 4i thickness of the box in this area assures a substantial interengagement of the cross brace means with the aper-f ture with little likelihood of the cross brace means being torn loose at this quadruple thickness portions.

A selectively reinforced box utilizing opposed sheets of nonidentical halves may also embody the present invention. In this arrangement the lapped portions of reinforced material may be laterally oset rather than being symmetrical as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. This arrangement may be provided to assure a better interlock or nonslip arrangement between adjacent boxes when boxes of this design are stacked in a series. In such an arrangement the lapped portions provide a protruding edge which is not symmetrical with respect to the opposite sides of the box. By reversing the direction of successive boxes the edges formed by the lapped portions face in opposite directions and provide a substantial interlock. This interlock may be selectively designed so that the shoulders are in substantial interengagement thereby providing an improved and simple interlock means to prevent accidental tipping of relatively high piles or stacks or corrugated boxes.

The present invention also contemplates the fabrication of a box design in which the lapped portions are provided with laterally extending slots or grooves to assure air circulation between the sidewalls of adjacent boxes. In this arrangement a double wall thickness is formed as illustrated in FIG. l. A slot or channel in one sheet extends laterally and partially across, but preferably not altogether through the lapped portions. Thus air may circulate to the laterally extending slot or clmnnel 80 through the vertical portion of single thickness of material which borders the lapped portions. The slot 80 provides circulation to a greater extent in a lateral direction with respect to the double lapped portion.

If desired the lapped portion may also be used to provide a clothes container having internal support means. In this arrangement an aperture may be formed on the inner sheet only at the lapped portions, as illustrated in FIG. 2. A cross brace or support means such for example as illustrated by the bar 83 may extend across the box with its ends secured in the apertures 82. The bar 83 may be secured against accidental dislodgement, if desired, by suitable means such for example as by cementing its ends into the apertures y82 or alternately, and if desired, by other means such for example as driving a nail or a screw through the outer sheet of the lapped wall into the end of the cross brace or post 83.

What is claimed is:

1. A box having reinforced walls formed of a pair of sheets with each folded along lines defining a plurali'ty of side and bottom portions, said sheets interengaged with the bottom portion of one at least partially lapping the bottom portion of the other, a pair of said side portions of one partially lapping a pair of said side portion of the other whereby said pairs of said side portions are lapped to form double wall thicknesses in portions extending from said bottom to said top of said sheets with portions bordering said double wall portions of single wall thickness, means permanently securing said lapped portions together, said double Wall thicknesses each formed with an aperture through said lapped, side portions a pair of tabs integral with the lower edges of each of said apertures of said lapped, side portions of each double wall thickness and folded downwardly into facing relation with the outer opposed surfaces of said lapped, side portions, and means extending through said apertures and clamped to said opposed surfaces over the quadruple thickness formed by said lapped sides and tabs.

2. A box as set forth in claim 1 wherein said box is formed with a lid formed of a pair of top portions each integrally formed with a different one of said sheets and defined by a fold line,

said top portions adapted to be at least partially lapped where folded.

3. A box as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sheets means internal of said box extending transversely with are formed of corrugated cardboard. its ends located in said apertures.

4. A box as set forth in claim 3 wherein said sheets are identical in shape. References Cited f 5. Ad box as fset ollth ir1 clirn lt'whereirtiha sliotli 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS orme 1n one o sai appe s1 e por lons W1 sai so extending from the edge of said lapped side portion be- 2902144 9/1959 Huehns' tween said bottom and top transversely a distance less 3007622 11/1961 George' than the fwidth of said double wall portion.

6. A box as set forth in claim 1 having apertures formed in opposed side portions of one sheet in an area falling within said double wall thickness,

said apertures opening inwardly into said box, and 229-23 WILLIAM T. DlXSON, JR., Primary Examiner l0 U.S. Cl. X.R. 

